


tongue-tied

by constant



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, im lame at endings, mentions of drinking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-14
Updated: 2020-04-14
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:34:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23648560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/constant/pseuds/constant
Summary: Seungmin asks Hyunjin to be his 'pretend boyfriend', and the latter's almost surprised by the lack of effort needed to keep up with the front. Turns out, Hyunjin wasn't trying to pretend the whole time.
Relationships: Hwang Hyunjin/Kim Seungmin
Comments: 21
Kudos: 245





	tongue-tied

**Author's Note:**

> i havent written anything in a while so if this seems lacking or disappointing in any way know that im merely taking this 3k of a mess as a literacy check

Hyunjin lays on the carpeted floor, staring at the glow stars stuck on the ceiling with a clouded mind. He takes one earpod out, but doesn't make any more movements nor does he tear his gaze away from the makeshift galaxy. He notices that some of the stars form the big dipper and a smile forms on his face thinking about Seungmin going out of his way to make the effort. 

"Jinnie, were you even listening?" 

"Yeah, I heard you." 

Seungmin sighs, whether from exasperation or impatience, Hyunjin couldn't tell. For all he knows, it could be both. They both know that Seungmin never likes to repeat himself, so whether Hyunjin did hear him or not, Seungmin isn't going through all of it again. 

But Hyunjin  _ did _ hear him, all right. The problem is in the ‘ _ believing’ _ . Hyunjin couldn’t believe what the other is asking of him. Suddenly, Hyunjin finds himself torn between keeping his quiet and pretending he didn't hear Seungmin's request, or just be truthful about it and talk it through together. 

If he is to be honest, the scale is largely tipping towards the latter option. The only problem is, Hyunjin doesn't know what to make out of what Seungmin is suggesting. 

“You want me to pretend to be your boyfriend.” Hyunjin says coolly, still staring up at the ceiling. “To make your ex-boyfriend jealous, whom you claim you are a hundred percent over with.” His nonchalant tone might have set Seungmin off because he throws a pillow at Hyunjin’s direction. 

“I  _ am  _ over him!” 

“Of course, you are.” Hyunjin shoots back, sarcastic. 

“Forget it. You wouldn’t understand, you’ve never been in a relationship.” Seungmin rises from his bed and makes to move towards the door but stops as though he has changed his mind, then decides to pace back and forth like he’d ever find a way to solve his problems by doing so. 

Hyunjin sits up and looks over at him with a worried look. “Seungmin, you don’t need to have relationship experience to know that this whole idea is stupid.” 

“Shut up for a moment, Jinnie. I can’t hear myself think.” 

Hyunjin shrugs and finally decides to leave Seungmin to his own devices. The younger always had the tendency to act on his emotions, but almost always comes around after giving it some thought.

And just as he predicted, 

“You’re right.” Seungmin slumps down on the bed defeatedly, “It  _ is _ kinda stupid.” 

His crestfallen expression sets something off in Hyunjin's chest. “Hey, I didn’t mean-” 

Seungmin waves him off. “You’re all right. I guess I’m just too caught up on my hatred towards Jisung to propose that desperate, ridiculous idea. It's just that- every time we see each other, he always finds it necessary to brag about his relationships right in front of my face. It’s just  _ so  _ annoying -”

“Okay, Minnie- ”

“- I just don’t want to see him again and make him think that I still haven’t had a boyfriend after him. It’s a pride thing, I guess-”

“ _ Seungmin _ .”

“But I have  _ honestly  _ moved on. That, I can assure you. If there’s one thing I regret, it’s kissing him back on that night we-” 

“SEUNGMIN!” 

“What?” Seungmin finally stops pacing to face Hyunjin. 

Hyunjin wasn’t there when Seungmin and Jisung were still together (They met a little after they broke up), but he definitely was there for all the times Seungmin had bitched about how toxic the relationship had been. Driven by pity he felt towards his friend, Hyunjin takes a deep breath and braces himself. 

“Let’s do it. Let’s do the fake boyfriend thing.” 

“Your hand is all sweaty.” 

“Well, I haven’t done this before, have I?” 

“Wipe it off then, hurry!” 

“Relax for a minute, will ya? Geez.” Hyunjin does as he’s told and reaches out for Seungmin’s hand again once he's done, intertwining his fingers around his. Hyunjin’s heart is also racing a hundred miles per minute, but Seungmin doesn’t have to know that. 

They finally reach the entrance to the karaoke place. Before entering, Seungmin turns to Hyunjin tensely. Hyunjin laughs at him. 

“Hey, relax! We got this.” Hyunjin squeezes his shoulder with his free hand, and Hyunjin’s glad to see that the younger had eased at the gesture, even just for a tiny fraction. 

“Can we go through it one more time? Just to make sure.” 

Hyunjin nods. “We met in Philo-4 last year, have been friends ever since, and we’ve been going out for five months.” 

“Right. And my favorite ice cream flavor is-” 

“Mint chocolate chip. You like eggs for breakfast, and hate it when someone comes on your bed uninvited."

"You, especially."

"I, especially but at the same time, I'm also an exception." 

Seungmin shrugs in assent. Hyunjin continues. 

"You like classic books, animated films, and jazz songs. You don't like pets, but if you were to have one, your puppy is going to be more important than I, your fake boyfriend, will ever be.” 

Seungmin nods firmly, seemingly satisfied that Hyunjin has remembered all the things he taught him. Hyunjin wants to tell him that there had been no effort involved in trying to remember any of those, considering they have been friends since last year and he had figured out all these stuff about him along the way. The only lie is that they haven’t actually been going out for five months. 

“Okay, good. Now let’s go.” 

“But what about me?” 

“What about you?” 

“Aren’t you going to recite all the things you know about me?” 

Seungmin rolls his eyes and tugs Hyunjin towards the door of the karaoke place. “We don't have time for that, and besides, I already know you like the back of my hand, Jinnie.” 

Hyunjin scoffs. Exactly his sentiments! 

Not having the energy and time for an argument, Hyunjin lets Seungmin pull him towards the establishment, his hand starting to dampen again due to his nerves. 

This is it. The (only) night Hyunjin gets to call Seungmin his boyfriend. And vice versa. 

Fortunately, Hyunjin's the type of person who knows how to deal with his jitters, and that’s by acting like there's absolutely nothing bothering him. 

“That’s ‘love’ for you, by the way. Stop calling me ‘Jinnie.’” 

“Okay, love.”

Outside, Hyunjin looks totally cool, but inside, his heart feels as though it could burst. 

  
  
  


The gathering wasn’t so bad unlike how Hyunjin expected it to be. Sure, Seungmin’s highschool mates are a little rowdy for his liking, but at least they’re not snobs or anything. 

But alas, the most dreadful moment finally comes. When the microphone was placed on the center table and everyone had some silent mutual decision to pour all their attention on their drinks, that’s when Hyunjin knew that his made-up relationship story rehearsals with Seungmin is finally going to have its final performance. 

“So, where did you two meet?” Her name is Jisu. She has big pretty eyes, and Hyunjin had found her likeable from the get-go, that is until she started to divert everyone’s attention towards Seungmin and him. 

“Philo-4.”

“Last year.” 

Hyunjin sends Seungmin a quick ‘shut up and let me handle this’ glance and notices that the latter is already starting to shake his knee. Hyunjin doesn’t think it through. He just reaches for Seungmin’s hand and lets their entwined hands rest on his bouncing leg. Nothing but to cover up his nerves. 

“Aww, you’re so cute together! Are you living together yet?” 

“Not yet. We’ve only been dating for five months, so…” 

The girls all squealed, and Hyunjin pats himself at the back mentally for answering their questions like he had been doing this all his life. He risks a glance at Seungmin to see his reaction, only to realize that the younger had been focusing his attention on one person the whole time. 

Hyunjin doesn’t need all those rants from Seungmin to know how much of a prick Jisung is in real life. He had only known the guy for two hours and he’s saying a lot for himself already. All he did was talk about his stupid new car and sing RnB songs like he’s Neyo or something (although he does have a good voice but Hyunjin will never admit that out loud), and snog his stupid boyfriend senseless! 

“Wait, I have a question for the cute couple too!” This one’s called Yeji, Hyunjin believes. “Have you said the three words to each other yet?” She raises her eyebrows at them teasingly that Hyunjin couldn’t help but laugh. 

Beside him, he felt Seungmin shift uncomfortably. Hyunjin squeezes his hand to reassure him. 

“Yeah, of course.” 

Another round of squeals. 

“Who said it first?” 

“Hey, aren’t you ladies being a little too prying?” A guy whose name Hyunjin couldn’t remember butts in. 

“Shut up, Jeno. They don’t mind our questions. You don’t mind, do you?” 

“It’s totally cool.” Hyunjin tells them. Seungmin tugs his hand slightly, and he looks at Hyunjin with a quick panicked glance. He shakes his head, obviously trying to say that Hyunjin doesn’t have to respond to every question they throw at him. Hyunjin only smiles at him and places his other hand over his. 

“I said it first.” Hyunjin said towards the girls, who went on another round of squeals and giggles. 

“What made you say it?” 

“Can you tell us more about it?” 

“ _ Girls _ .” Jeno again. 

Hyunjin cranes his neck to address him, “It’s fine, man. I really don’t mind.” 

Jeno nods back at him. "If you say so." 

It must be due to the rising effect of the booze, because Hyunjin finds himself enjoying their questions quite a lot. Also, he wants to know just how far he can make up stuff on the spot about his supposed 'relationship' with Seungmin, seeing the unexpected queries more of a challenge. 

None of the girls' questions so far had been anything they rehearsed. Women's minds are just on a whole new level at times, and Hyunjin finds it amazing. 

"Well," Hyunjin begins, feeling not the least bit intimidated or nervous. He's surprised at how he's finding this whole pretend relationship a lot easier and more natural than he expected. He's not sure how the lie just quickly came to him, but he's relieved that it did so. "We were on our way home from a very stressful school day. It was pouring and we only had one umbrella. I remember being so tired that I could just drop right there on the sidewalk and sleep. I wanted to get home as soon as possible so I could rest. But this idiot suddenly pulls me in towards a bookstore, saying he just needed to check something real quick. I gotta tell you, if it had been any other person, I would have left him right there and went on my way and would have taken the umbrella with me. But it was Seungmin. I was with Seungmin. And just seeing him go through those shelves excitedly was enough to convince me to endure my exhaustion and stay for a little while. And that's just when I realized that when you start to put someone else's happiness before yours, that's when you know you're fucked. And  _ man _ , I was fucked." 

Hyunjin starts to laugh, but it all fades to nothing when he realizes that everyone in the room had all been hanging to every word he was saying. The girls are all suppressing their screams (Jisu is teary-eyed), Jeno and the other guys are staring at him admiringly, Jisung, to Hyunjin’s utmost satisfaction, is glaring at them from the other side of the room, and Seungmin-

Before he could study the look on Seungmin’s face, Yeji speaks out. 

“And then after realizing that you love him, you just said it right there with all those books around you and everything?” 

Oh, shit. There goes the gap in his story. 

“Yeah, that’s right.” Hyunjin nods, glancing over at Seungmin with a smile. “I told him that I love him.” 

To his surprise, Seungmin smiles back. To make matters worse, or better, or worse - Hyunjin doesn’t even know anymore - Seungmin says, “And I said it back.” 

  
  
  


Right before they all went their separate ways, Jisung had approached them and wished Seungmin the best. He even warned Hyunjin jokingly to take good care of Seungmin, and Hyunjin fought back the urge to respond with a sarcastic remark, or a single finger but instead, he pulled Seungmin closer towards him and brought their foreheads together. 

“Always have, always will.” He whispered, heart racing at their proximity. 

Behind them, he hears someone yell, “Kiss! Kiss!” 

And to be honest, that’s enough nudge for Hyunjin to execute his next move. 

It was just a quick kiss, but Hyunjin doesn’t think he could ever forget the way Seungmin's lips felt on his even if he tried. 

Liquor courage really is something else. 

Both Hyunjin and Seungmin took the compliments of Jisung as a sign of victory, which means that Seungmin had succeeded in his initial objective. With this, they decided to celebrate over chocolate cake and a bottle of champagne. 

“You think we fooled them?” Hyunjin asks as he lays on the carpeted floor, Seungmin sitting close by beside him. The lights are off this time, so he basks in the glow of the stars before they fade away. Hyunjin's determined to fix his gaze on the ceiling and to never look at Seungmin’s face ever again. He can’t stop thinking about the kiss, or the way Seungmin’s hand felt around his, or the way his heart went ballistic every time Seungmin called him ‘love’. If he wasn’t too preoccupied by his own thoughts, he would have noticed that Seungmin had been more quiet than usual too. 

“Yeah, I think we did. Guess we have to make up some kind of breakup story for when I have to meet up with them next time and you’re not there.” 

Hyunjin hesitates. “Or I could just pretend to be your boyfriend again.” 

“Or I could just find a real boyfriend.” 

Hyunjin’s heart clenches at the thought. “Yeah, that could work too.” 

The silence stretches between them, more taunting and dreadful than the darkness around them. Hyunjin reaches out and finds Seungmin's arm. He wraps his hand around the other's wrist, still not looking over at him. 

Hyunjin almost says something stupid. Something like: 'you don't need to find another boyfriend', but the words get stuck in his throat.

“You were too good back there.” Seungmin breaks the silence, chuckling softly. For a moment, Hyunjin feels the urge to get up and turn the lights on, just to take a peek of his smile. “Too good, in fact, that even  _ I  _ almost believed that you’re in love with me." 

Hyunjin wanted to tell him that he almost fooled himself with the exact same notion as well.

  
  
  


The thing is, the story Hyunjin told Seungmin’s high school mates wasn’t exactly a whole lie. That entire moment at the bookstore actually  _ did  _ happen, which is probably why Hyunjin found it easy to relay the story because it was taken straight from his memory. 

"Jinnie, I've been meaning to ask you. Why did you choose that bookstore story among all the times we've been together? I just find it so random. I don't even recall much from that day." 

The thing is, Hyunjin didn’t exactly intend for it to be a lie. Well yes, it wasn’t the day he told Seungmin ‘the three words’ but it was the day Hyunjin realized that he was falling in love with him. Just a normal, tiring day. Just a random spur of the moment kind of thing. Hyunjin doesn't even know  _ why.  _ He just knows that he was, knows that he  _ is.  _

"Do you really wanna know?" 

The thing is, right after realizing that he was falling in love with his friend, Hyunjin had taken it upon himself to brush the feelings off that he knew too well couldn’t advance to anything - before he falls in too deep and couldn’t get hold of his feelings anymore. Before he ends up breaking his own heart, because he knows that the possibility of Seungmin reciprocating his feelings has the same amount of chances for ostriches to fly. 

"Jinnie, it's been a month since that pretend-boyfriend front. If I don't care, then I wouldn't be asking now, would I?" 

The thing is, Hyunjin never should have agreed to that pretend relationship in the first place because now, no matter how hard he tried, Hyunjin just can’t seem to take Seungmin off his mind. He thinks about the kiss, he thinks about the way Seungmin’s hand felt in his, he thinks about that fleeting moment where their foreheads touched. Everything about that night was perfect. It is everything Hyunjin ever dreams of. If he confesses now, will Seungmin accept his heart? 

Hyunjin stares at Seungmin’s expectant face, finding himself getting more tongue-tied when he stares at the younger. Hyunjin has never done this before, so just how is he going to tell Seungmin about his feelings in the most concise yet articulate way possible? 

"Every time I look at you," He starts, nervously. Maybe it was a mistake to look at Seungmin at that precise moment because he catches the way Seungmin’s smile forms on his face, and Hyunjin just  _ falls.  _ It's like dropping from the highest peak of a rollercoaster. Heart racing. Breathtaking. 

If Hyunjin wasn't so much into his emotions, he would have recognized the smile which understood before anything else could even be said. It is just about enough to send Hyunjin’s mind reeling and now, he doesn't know anymore. He catches a sight of that smile and he loses his train of thought. 

Hyunjin shrugs. "I'm fucked, Seungmin. I can't explain it better than that." 

Seungmin places a hand on his cheek and says, "I understand perfectly." 

And when Seungmin leans in to kiss him, Hyunjin kisses him back because  _ man _ . Man, he's fucked.

  
  



End file.
